Greenwich Village Vignettes

By Alfred Canecchia

Book Overview

Greenwich Village Vignettes is a collection of short stories, or vignettes, chronicling a boy's coming of age during the time period after the Second World War, to the close of the tumultuous and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1413472419
• ISBN13: 9781413472417
• Release Date: June 2008
• Publisher: Xlibris
• Length: 248 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Excellent account of life in Greenwich Village during the 50's and 60's...

I was born in Greenwich Village in the late 60's, so I arrived at the tail end of the period that Alfred Canecchia describes in his book. However, after reading Greenwich Village Vignettes, I feel--just a little bit--like I was there. An easy-going, talented story teller, Alfred Canecchia takes the reader through the history of Greenwich Village via the stories of his own first 25 years from the mid-40's through the end of the 60's. Alfred's early stories relate his childhood as a working-class, Catholic Italian-American with a fairly recently-immigrated family. As he grows up and changes, the neighborhood also changes, both good and bad: from post-war growth, to the introduction of LSD, to the blossoming of the Village as a musical epicenter of the 60's counterculture. The slow, subtle change in the neighborhood that begins with vendors delivering blocks of ice and vegetable carts on the streets, to a place where junkies would nod and crash on the sidewalks, to its eventual gentrification in which working-class families could no longer afford to live there is at once heartbreaking yet resilient. This book is crucial snapshot of one of New York's most well-known neighborhoods during a tumultuous time in its history. Alfred remains impressively sympathetic to the friends and acquaintances along the way--whether sensitive artists or quick-to-brawl hooligans, his thoughtful portrayals find the good in everyone. He leavens many of the tales with a generous supply of humor: stories from teaching a non-English speaking Italian grandmother to say "son of a bitch" to an evening with an apartment full of carnival-bought reptiles slithering about, the book will make you laugh out loud. And when the stories call for somber tones, Alfred conveys those with the seriousness they require. As a musician, I was thrilled to read about Alfred's music career. He and his bandmates (who became The Roman Numerals) evolved from doo-wop singers, to folk, to folk-rock during the musical revolution of the Beatles and Bob Dylan. From recording a single for Columbia Records to meeting John Hammond, Sr., to performing at famous venues such as the Bitter End, Alfred's music career saw many highlights and provides the book with yet another dimension. The book has a personal appeal to me for another reason: Alfred is my cousin, and the family members he talks about--Uncle Pro and Aunt Marie, Aunt Louise, etc.--are relatives who I fondly remember from my own childhood. Also, my mother makes a brief appearance at the beginning of the book! She and Alfred were first cousins and grew up sharing many Sunday meals together (Alfred's description of his grandmother Josephine's day-long preparation for a traditional Italian Sunday meal is a beautifully written account). Overall, a great read about a neighborhood that was, at that time, truly a "village." Greenwich Village may be completely transformed today, but reading Alfred's book will take you back to an earlier time--even if yo

The Village as it was

I enjoyed this book, the author made you feel as if you were back to that time of growing up in the Village. His characters come to life and you laugh and cry all the way through. This is a must read for any child of the sixties and any one interested in the Village.

An Engaging Memoir

"Greenwich Village Vignettes" is a wonderfully presented story full of warmth and feeling. Absorbing from the moment you dive into it, this memoir crafts a narrative that is incredibly interesting and well written. I couldn't put it down, or stop laughing and crying. It's the kind of book that makes your heart soar, and then breaks it at the same time. For anyone who grew up in NYC during the 50's and 60's, it's like having an intimate conversation with your past. It covers it all, the period and the people.